8/2/2015

My husband and I really enjoyed our dinner experience at Alinea and actually had a lot of fun dining there! We have been to a few three Michelin star restaurants and not sure what to expect especially after watching Spinning Plates. The dinner was about 3 hours and we were constantly surprised, laughing and enjoying all the courses. While we both agreed that the food was not as good as Per Se or Brooklyn Fare, the meal was very creative, interactive and a wonderful dining experience. The service was superb, the staff was beyond knowledgeable and the wine pairing was really good. Every wine paired extremely well with each course.

I was surprised that the ingredients used were not super expensive like the usual foie, caviar and shellfish but the chef was able to serve a very memorable meal. One of the desserts was a green apple helium balloon where you got to suck the helium out like you did as a child. On the last and final dessert, Chef Grant comes out to the table to present the course. This was a good experience to see and meet the chef but you could definitely tell he's done this one too many times and it's become boring and monotonous to him; however, it's his choice to leave it on the menu. Overall still a really fun and creative experience!

To make a res:
I made our reservations through their online ticketing/reservation system 2 months before we are at Alinea. The schedule is available every 15th of the month to book 2 months out. For example on June 15, the entire August schedule is available to be booked.

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  Dessert #3

  Dessert #3
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  Study of hot and cold.

  Study of hot and cold.
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  The Thai courses

  The Thai courses
• See all photos from Kelly Y. for Alinea

8/9/2015

Alinea rekindled our love of Michelin starred restaurants. The service was impeccable. The servers were approachable while maintaining the level of professionalism that is to be expected.  

The dinner was an experience. There is no other way to describe the courses. From entering the restaurant to dessert painted on the table, it is more than you could expect from a restaurant. The flavor and textures were beyond compare. Every course left a smile on our faces.

The loss of a star comes from the length of experience. Our meal was 14 "courses" lasting a bit more than an hour total. With the expectation of 2.5 hours, it left a little to be desired and we did end up leaving a bit hungry.

The best tip we can give is to enjoy the wine pairing and experience every moment.

8/1/2015

The creativity and artistry in the restaurant are second to none and it is was definitely an experience I will never forget.  The service was first class, not overbearing but on top of things and made you feel at home.

The meal lasted about 2.5 hours and had its hits and misses.  I would say the meal is back end loaded because I felt like the dishes near the end were better than at the beginning.  There were a few courses that I did not enjoy at all.  Taste is all about perspective so perhaps others would have enjoyed those courses more than I did.

I'm an average eater and I did leave a little hungry and had to eat again after to fill up.  I don't regret going or spending the money but I'm not sure I would go again.  I liked 42 Grams better in the Chicago area.

7/31/2015

I wish I could give Alinea 20 stars!!!  We just returned from a 6 week trip up the east coast, through upstate NY, and ending our road trip in Chicago JUST to go to Alinea!!!  I'd do it again and again!  This was the most amazing food experience of my life!  Everything from the service, the wine, the food, the BALLOON...  Over the top!!!!  

Make sure you get there early enough so the diners before you don't ruin the surprises waiting for you!!
Make that special trip to Chicago just for dinner at Alinea.  You will be happy you did!

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  Menu

  Menu
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  Tropical fruit

  Tropical fruit
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  Balloon

  Balloon
• See all photos from Jackie M. for Alinea

6/29/2015

Alinea is very unassuming from the outside, we spotted it with some help from the valet sign. Upon entering there is a long hall dimly lit with a red lighting. Behind the hostess stand you have a view into the kitchen where you will see a cluster of chefs playing with everything from long knives to liquid nitrogen.

We were led upstairs to our table where one of our waiters explained the wine options. While the wine pairing was tempting, it donned mostly white wines and would have each person drinking a full bottle. He did allow us the option of splitting this between two people (shared glass), but we had a preference for red. I will say the people next to us did the pairing and were wasted (in an entertaining way), and perhaps it was not the best way to full experience the food. We ended up doing two bottles for the meal which was perfect.

The meal itself is one that is hard to describe. The dishes are of course like those you have never seen before and will unlikely see again. The combinations of food are unusual and yet work together perfectly in a very creative sense. The presentation is impressive and surprising, try not to watch the tables around you so that you can enjoy when it's presented to your group.

Overall, this is not a cheap date by any means, but it's the 26th best restaurant in the world, what do you expect? It was amazing service, amazing food, and even the people around you could join in the fun your table was having at times. It is definitely an experience everyone should have at least once!

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• See all photos from Jordan K. for Alinea

7/30/2015

This place is unbelievable. My boyfriend and I were here in May and both agree that it was one of the most memorable experiences we have ever had.

Each course was presented in the most unique way(this is Alinea after all) and the flavors of each dish were a dream. We were worried that because we looked at so many pictures and read so many reviews about this restaurant that nothing would be a surprise, but we were not disappointed at all.

Service wasn't what I thought it was going to be. It was better! After taking the first taste of the green apple taffy balloon it deflated onto my water glass. One of the gentlemen serving us immediately replaced my water glass before I could even blink haha. He was like "Don't worry this isn't the first time that's happened."

My boyfriend and I couldn't stop smiling after we left. We were blown away by the whole experience. I can't wait to go back!

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  Dessert.

  Dessert.
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  Green apple taffy balloon. RIP.

  Green apple taffy balloon. RIP.
• See all photos from Tana B. for Alinea

8/10/2015

It's really an amazing experience, one of the best dinner I had. The dishes are beautifully presented, food tastes fresh and delicious. And overall it's an entertaining experience because many dishes have a surprising effect. I would give it above 5 stars if I can. I had the 12 course tasting and pretty much every dish were my favorites, especially the sour apple ballon, you are gonna leave in laughters

5/10/2015

Alinea sits in a category of its own, as little needs to be said about its presence as one of the most acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurants, the countless James Beard awards it's garnered over the years, and its consistent ranking in the top 10 of Pellegrino's best restaurants in the world. Grant Achatz, the mastermind behind the restaurant and the ever-changing menu, is regarded by many as a culinary genius, so needless to say, Alinea had long been on my culinary bucket list, a "To Do" for a far-off day when I could eventually make the journey to Chicago.

Sometimes, though, we might be lucky enough to have these decisions made for us. It's how I found myself in Chicago in January of this year (a less-than-ideal season for the city, it should be noted), making my way through the darkened passage to the entrance of Alinea. Even the first impression leaves guests reeling, a temporary discombobulation that will leave them wondering if they are, in fact, in the right place. Even after we were greeted, checked in, and seated in the main dining room, the actual adventure had yet to begin.

The courses that followed were like none other that I've yet to encounter. Our very first course, a dish featuring Osetra caviar, brioche "foam", an egg yolk custard, and a red onion gelée, is one  I can still remember with startling accuracy. It was almost too tongue-in-cheek for my liking, but I was completely won over by how such staple ingredients had been completely transformed in texture and consistency, but nonetheless yielded a combination of flavors that just... worked. Neither did I expect the following course, which consisted of an intricate net of twigs in front of us; we were instructed to find the lone root of salsify that had been camouflaged between the branches, an exercise that was just as rewarding as eating the salsify, which had been cooked so that its texture and taste resembled jerky.

There is a certain degree of showmanship here that can be found nowhere else. From the lengthy plank of wood that our Gurnard was served on, dotted with a white pepper cream, vietnamese coriander, and a broccoli purée, to the fire left to crackle and sizzle in the center of our table as we lightly toasted our slices of hamachi, to the chilled bowl that steadly spewed out vapor as we ate our sweet dish of Pear, an almond mousse, grapefruit, and oxalis, to the chance to bite into the helium-filled green apple balloon and giggle at the high-pitched voices that we were left with... The presentation and introduction of each course left me in sheer wonder, and in anticipation of the next surprise.

And somehow, there are no sacrifices made in the quality and caliber of the food. Every element, from the small sliver of skate (encircled in a veritable garden of brown butter, lemon, and lemon), to the eggplant cooked sous vide (elevated by the lemongrass broth with hints of cocoa and curry), to the tender pork belly (which had masqueraded as a log in our miniature fire) was executed to perfection. I have yet to touch on the amount of research and scientific knowledge necessary to pull of most of these dishes - how does one capture the pure essence of chocolate in such a crystal-clear frozen distillation? Or what about the mechanics behind compressing watermelon, freezing a coconut, or turning a banana into a chewy, dense marshmallow?

I don't like playing favorites, especially when it comes to comparing restaurants with dissimilar styles, cuisines, and approaches to food. What I will say, however, is that Alinea has offered the most memorable dining experience I've had to date. The sheer amount of thought and meticulousness that goes into each dish is truly unparalleled, and the entire 16 course meal becomes less of a "dinner" and more of a culinary masterpiece, with surprises to delight and impress at every turn. For those that have even the slightest inclination to visit Alinea - go. I can guarantee that it's a decision you won't regret.

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  Tropical Fruit

  Tropical Fruit
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  Tropical Fruit

  Tropical Fruit
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  Pear

  Pear
• See all photos from Lori L. for Alinea

7/13/2015

My 500th review!! Woohoo!! And Alinea is definitely worthy to be my 500th yelp review. This was one of the most memorable and amazing dining adventures I've been on. And its definitely worth visiting when in Chicago, at least once in your lifetime.

The service, the food, the presentation - all were impeccable! From the moment I walked in to the final goodbye from the friendly hostess, there were pleasant surprises along every bit of the way.

This is a prie fixe menu where you are required to pay in advance before even getting to the restaurant. (Though one table next to us got 2 extra dishes (Bacon Thyme and the Truffle Explosion. I asked the server and he said the chef designs the menu for everyone. Even though the entire evening, that was only table in our section of the dining room that got those 2 extra dishes.)

The only disappointment was that the chef wasn't actually there that night. I really wanted to meet him and get a picture with him. I guess this just means I'll have to go back again!

4/27/2015

Alinea has a long list of awards.  It has 3 Michelin Stars from 2011 to 2015. #26 on the San Pellegrino 2015 World's 50 Best Restaurants.  #9 on the San Pellegrino 2014 World's 50 Best Restaurants.  Top 15 for past 6 years in the world.  Top 36 for past 8 years in the world.  Grant Achatz came out of French Laundry's kitchen.  Therefore, it has more awards than Jay Z, Kanye West, Beyonce, and Kim Kardashian. Well, a porn tape isn't really an award.

It's a house converted into a restaurant with a huge kitchen and kitchen staff over 20.  The wait staff is extremely attentive and their service is on point.  It's one of the best I've experience and I've dine at some of the best restaurants in the world.  The chefs came out to explain the dishes and had no issues of me sitting there in my white 2pac t-shirt.  However, other guests gave me stares but it's cool. I just smiled back and threw up the "Dub".  Westside.  Outlawz.  Thug Life.  

OK. Here's the deal. It's expensive and I personally don't have a problem with it.  I'm there to experience it and be cultured.  Those two things combined to me are priceless.  I don't think anyone should complain about the price of the meal cause you know before hand how much it's going to cost.  It's like jumping in front of an 18 big rig wheeler going 100 mph and wondering why you're in the hospital.  It's stupid.  If you initial cringed at the cost, you should not have gone through with it.  

Now, El Foodo. That's food for you folks who don't speak Spanish.  The molecular gastronomy aka Techno-emotional cuisine aka Avant-garde cuisine is an interesting way to do things.   Whatever you want to call it.  It's amazing.  The presentation totally blew my mind as I never experience some of the things Achatz has done at Alinea.  

1) Pebble - The dish resemble pebbles on the beach.  It's Ebi, Ogo and Clam Shells.  The overall taste of the dish was interesting and very fresh in nature.   They asked us to imagine being on a beach while they explained the dish.  However, I was having a hard time cause I was in Chicago trying to get over the lake wind chill.  I was more like Dorothy repeating "There's no place like home".  Yes, California bred and loving the sunshine.  Westside.

2) Chocolate - Crystal clear chocolate by frozen distillation.  They pretty much took chocolate, purified it and removed all the bad parts of the chocolate.  It was a total trip to eat cause we usually think of chocolate being dark or white.  However, the chocolate was clear and it totally messes with your mind when you're eating it.  It's kind of like being on shrooms and walking through a botanical garden.  So I heard.

3) Graffiti - Hazelnut, Perigord and Balsamic served on a cement plate.  It was inspired by Noma's foraging concept.  Grant Achatz dined at Noma and it gave him the idea of bringing the Chicago streets to the dinner table.  The dish was apart of the dessert portion of the menu. The sweet hazelnut and perigord looked like pieces of a broken wall.  The syrupy and sweet balsamic looked like spray paint on the wall.  Grant Achatz the Banksy of the culinary world?

4) Balloon - It's a Green Apple flavor taffy balloon filled up with helium.  It's ingenious and a totally fun experience to eat it.  It's definitely delicate to handle cause I saw it deflate on a chef many times before he got to the dining room.  You get the whole helium affect on your voice like a guy getting kicked in the you know what.

Alinea is the epitome of a dining experience. They take you through a journey with every dish.  From the Pebbles to the Balloon to the Graffiti plate.  Concrete jungle. It's like a jungle sometimes. It makes me wonder if I'm going under.  

Lastly, I would definitely recommend Alinea if you want a complete dining journey.  It's creative, innovative and a stand out in its class.  It can't be labeled as culinary art because it's simply art.  

2 down.  10 more.

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  @ambitionsofatraveler

  @ambitionsofatraveler
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  @ambitionsofatraveler

  @ambitionsofatraveler

7/27/2015

Alinea created an experience for the table unlike almost any other restaurant.  From start to finish we were WOWED.  We got to see the kitchen before we sat down, so we had a small glimpse into where the magic takes place.

When the first course of peach, champagne, and basil explodes in your mouth, you know you're in for a treat.  The progression throughout the night was natural and progressive of flavors, likely pulling from the knowledge Chef Achatz learned while at El Bulli. Of note, Chef has worked with some of the top chefs in the world including Chefs Adria, Trotter, and Keller.  Achatz is a master at his art and his expression of food shined throughout the meal.

The second course had nine different items on the plate including a soup in the middle that we sipped with a steel straw between bites.

The fourth course used meringue cracked on rock slabs and carrot spray to create graffiti on the "plate".

The next notable dish including a charcoal fire at the table, which ultimately turned out to be a hidden tube of chicken wrapped up in seaweed that our server carved table side.  That was combined with cooked peppers and flowers that started off hanging over our heads for the first few courses.  We were all shocked!

Everyone loved the truffle courses, most notably the hot potato cold potato.  The truffle and potato combined with a truffle sauce for a slurp-able (think oyster) treat.  Not far behind was the single bite ravioli that exploded with Parmesan and black truffle.  

The dessert courses began with a cheesecake dish that also resembled street grafitti.  The berries and hibiscus flavors paired well with the marshmallow like cheesecake, and the Sauternes dessert wine paired by the sommelier was especially amazing.

Next, each person at the table received a balloon filled with apple and helium.  You have to put your face on the balloon towards the top and suck out the flavor as the balloon starts to implode on your face.  As it deflates, you eat the apple taffy flavored balloon and string.  Lots of fun and very unique idea to put a smile on everyone's face!

For the finale, Chef Achatz came over to create the dessert literally on the table. The staff placed a special rubber tarp on the table so we could eat right off of it.  Chef flung tropical sauces all over the table and delicately placed fruits and other mini morsels of goodness in front of each guest.  Then he placed a nitrogen smoking dinosaur egg at the table and sprinkled some golden dust, before smashing it into pieces and releasing all of the trapped nitrogen over the table.  Finished with a bang, literally! Then we lapped up all the sauces and mini dessert treasures.

Everything was delicious and no one felt they over ate.  Perfect amount of food and wines that were expertly paired to compliment each dish.  I will absolutely return in the future, likely in a few months when there are some new dishes to experience.  The entire meal was a well orchestrated food and wine experience that few others in the world can come close to matching.  Alinea truly deserves their three Michelin stars.  Hats off to the entire staff for giving us an amazing level of service and experience.

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  Progression of amazing courses. Thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience!

  Progression of amazing courses. Thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience!

7/2/2015

The food here is definitely the most innovative I have ever had, and I have had a lot of molecular gastronomy.  There are all kinds of creative dishes using things like fire logs (that were a pork belly in disguise) and helium (to fill an apple balloon).  Every course was like a show.  The food was good, but not so amazing that I continue to crave it -- I feel like the meal was more like a performance.  The grand finale dessert was an artful masterpiece, but the chef who "painted" it was kind of cocky.  I do have very high expectations for a 3-star Michelin restaurant.  When I spend $300-$400 on a meal, it must exceed my expectations, but I actually left feeling a little hungry.

1 start off: Like some of the other reviewers, I did not think the mandatory 20% gratuity was appropriate.  Service was fine, but more like around 15%.  Maybe 14% since the chef seemed like he had more snobbish attitude than the truffles he was serving.

6/17/2015

After reading all the glorious reviews about this place, I had to see it for myself. Bought two tickets for dinner, which came out to be about $623 with service charge and tax. This is not the final price, once you're there wine and tip are additional.

So the night of our special dinner finally came and my BF and I were both very excited about trying Alinea for the first time. We got to the place and it looked like a warehouse from the outside. We walked down a long dimly lit hallway with no decor, and with some confusion, we reassured each other that this must be the master chef's way of luring you into a surprise. At the end of the hallway, we eventually ended up at the entrance to the restaurant. We were greeted and escorted to our table. Eh, not much of a surprise there.

We decided not to do wine pairing but ordered wine by the glass. Then our evening began. One by one, our 15-18 course meal came out. The food was good, but nothing really wowed us. The flavor was too salty for our tastes. We sent some dishes away half eaten, which was a little unexpected to the staff I guess because I heard them asking each other, "What happened there?" The only memorable thing for me was the dessert presentation at the very end. It was beautifully performed, although I didn't eat much of that dessert.

We paid over $700 for our dinner and I didn't think it was worth it at all. The staff was very nice and service was great, but it got a little uncomfortable after awhile because the room was very small and there was a guy (supervisor?) who just stood there and watched everyone. I know his job was to quickly attend to people's needs, but by standing there and watching us eat, it was very uncomfortable. We also were afraid to use our normal voices or talk about certain things because it was very quiet in the room, so anything you say could be heard by the customer next to you or that supervisor.

It was a unique dining experience, but definitely not worth the price.

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• See all photos from LovestoEat N. for Alinea

7/30/2015

Alinea is unlike any other restaurant in its own fine dining class. It offers creativity and innovation in an unparalleled way. It is fun, exciting, surprising, and unique. The food however is a mix of several outstanding dishes, like Surf Clam, Steelhead Roe, Graffiti, Hot Potato Cold Potato and Black Truffle, and some not so outstanding ones like Lily, Percebes, Cheesecake and Balloon (though the concept of Balloon is UNBELIEVABLE). And what I mean is that the taste of some of their dishes fell short of the presentation, concept, and its class. Cheesecake was ordinary, and nothing special. Percebes, though unique, was watery and too ashy, Lily felt like biting into raw ginger, and balloon tasted like Fruit Rollup (sticky, sugary, and not exactly what I expected after such an outstanding presentation as an edible helium balloon. But when the dishes were outstanding, well, then they tasted better than anything else I ever tried - Hot Potato Cold Potato and Surf Clam were orgasmic! But the lack of consistent delivery of amazing flavor (and of course I know taste is subjective and what I found not so great may have been someone else's favorite) is what drove me back to thinking that my top three remain Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, and Daniel (all in NYC).

The service staff is young and friendly, personable, and in some ways similar to Eleven Madison Park except not as polished or refined. The ambiance is modern and a bit sterile, like a surgical room. But it is conducive to the many culinary surprises. I won't spoil them here, but there are many dishes hiding within others and hovering above your table. They are indeed the most creative people I ever encountered.

The tickets system is actually not too bad. At first I hated the idea of not knowing when they get published, and feeling like I had to spend several days in the middle of each month watching like a hawk on their website to see if they launched tickets for the next month or two or three. Not knowing exactly when tickets will become available was tough, but then I realized that, unlike with other fine dining restaurants that by 9AM when you can call 30 days prior to the day you want to come, no more times you want are available after several encounters with busy signals, this is indeed a better option. I was able to get the exact time and date I wanted. It was relieving.

In terms of when to come I would say come early, like 5 or 5:15 or whenever the first table is, because otherwise you will get your surprises ruined by other people's tables getting them first.

Alinea is indeed an unmissable dining phenomenon that if you have the chance of partaking in you will not regret. It deserves every single one of its three Michelin Stars and it brings a fresh approach to culinary arts. I was disappointed I did not get to meet the Chef, whose own battle with tongue cancer may have been a blessing in disguise since he was probably to emerge a better taster and creator of food than anyone else who never lost their taste buds. I highly recommend Alinea in a hearbeat. It is certainly Chicago's and one of America's best

6/26/2015

The presentation here is amazing. Sometimes you almost do not want to eat the food, you just want to stare and observe! I would recommend that you ask for a table upstairs if possible as the downstairs room was very quiet and it was a bit uncomfortable having the wait staff watching you eat! Definitely share the wine pairing if you choose it as it is many pours. My favorite was the dessert with the pillow and fragrance wafting up from it.

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  Foam

  Foam
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  Sesame

  Sesame
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  Earl Grey

  Earl Grey
• See all photos from Megan S. for Alinea

2/18/2015

Performance Art  

...........................(and food)

So much has been written about Alinea, I almost didn't post here.  What could I add to the conversation?  So, read on if you want one man's impressions of a legend.....

I have just deleted my saved draft of the review I wrote the evening of dinner at Alinea.  It was not wholly complimentary, to say very little.  I decided not to post it that night because I needed to cool off.  Why?  Some words found in that review:  Fleeced.
BS.  Disappointing.

So, here I am after much consideration, writing what I feel to be a fair review of my thoughts/experience at Alinea.  *(Quick note:  I am an experienced eater and former chef/restaurant owner and former wine merchant.  I have what I consider to be a full understanding of food and wine, and eat in restaurants often. I also travel a bit).

I come away feeling that this place is mostly about performance.  I went in with the expectation that it was about food.  I realize that Alinea provides way more than food.  But I wish they did more with the food.  How I mean that, is my soul was left cold by the food.  Yes, it was playful, yes it was artful, yes it was challenging.  But it wasn't satisfying. It didn't reach into me and fill me with joy, or comfort, or passion.  

Entering:

Long dark hallway leading to the front door, where we were greeted by a very pleasant young lady.  Taken upstairs to a corner table that was a round black stained table which struck me as underwhelming.  Very minimum decoration throughout the room, almost to a fault.  My thinking was that at this price, maybe a few limited editions of Richter?  Something?

Service:

As good as it gets.  Highly polished and still very personable.  A small village ultimately addresses the table over so many courses, and that works well here. We needed/wanted for nothing. Confident and enthusiastic, refined and comfortable.

Wine Service:

My hat is off to the sommelier here.  VERY impressive pairings with very challenging food.  I had the "reserve" (?) wines while my friends opted for the standard.  He was packed full of knowledge, utterly gracious, and could communicate what the thinking was for pairings, as well as some geeky info exceedingly well.  He alone adds a star if not more to this "restaurant".

Food:

Everything you've heard is true.  This is outside of the box.  Which I like. At 18 or so courses, doing this kind of performance requires incredible skill and creativity, which they quite obviously have.  But it takes concentration and skill on the diner's part as well to even begin to try to appreciate what is intended.  It also takes endurance.

Because of the endurance needed,  I look back and I think the menu is front end loaded.  In that the hits are sent out early in the meal.  It seemed to me that as the performance proceeded, after about the midpoint, each dish, or act, was a little less than the previous, save for the spectacular Hot Potato/Cold Potato truffle course.  This is dish was one of the best dishes I have ever had in my life.  The one place they infused some soul.

Of course every act had a brilliant presentation, and the wine as previously mentioned elevated the food.  But it did seem anticlimactic moving forward.  Or maybe our excitement of such an anticipated evening had fallen back to earth???

Of note, there were a couple of courses that tasted of nothing but charcoal. I suspect this was intended.  One of these courses came to the table on fire.  During this part of the performance, I did not finish 3 or 4 courses, simply because they tasted awful. Sadly disappointing.  

Then sweets.  The helium apple balloon is genius.  AND tasted good!

The painted table for dessert is very impressive from an artists perspective.  A live painting done by 2 men in kitchen whites.  I think the value of what they painted far exceeded what we ate.  It was a beautifully executed canvas, done with skill and just the right amount of flair as to not be too cutesy.  But then the eating again.  Nothing spectacular.

Overall:

3 Stars- Not sure what else to give. Closer to 2 than 4.

When dinner for 4 cost's $2,400.00 I want my soul stirred.  Alinea didn't come close to that.

When I left that night, I felt that I should have donated the money I spent to a hungry family. Or four.  I am not of the ilk that is trying to save the world.  But this experience left me with that.  It was not at all what I expected to be feeling as I walked out the door.  I feel like I lost on this bargain.  I wanted to leave feeling that I had just experienced something special. Not this particular evening.

If you have read this, thanks for taking the time.  Feel free to scream at me for not appreciating genius. If you're thinking about attending a performance here, go for it.  I know I won't be returning, mostly because I don't like to feel fleeced after dinner.  

Buona Fortuna!

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  Dessert..... Looks good! Tastes meh!

  Dessert..... Looks good! Tastes meh!
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  Gorgeous plating

  Gorgeous plating

7/26/2015

Simply scrumptious. The whole experience is a must have, with outstanding wine and food that is beyond amazing! From the moment I walked l, I knew that this was a place that I had to come back to. I hope to try one of everything from the menu.

The staff were delightful which is always a bonus.  I recommend that any one needing a night of refined, sensational food/ drink, make this a priority destination!

8/8/2015

This is a fun restaurant.  It's inventive, creative and for the most part pretty darn delicious.  I think we had one or two dishes that we were like oh okay, that was good but not fantastic.  Service was great.  Would definitely go back for a special occasion if they were in SF.

1/12/2015

I wanted to treat my husband to a wonderful dinner for his graduation. I heard so many good things about this place. It was considered the #1 restaurant in the US and in the world's top for ten the past few years. Since we were going to be in Chicago at the time, I stalked the computer until they released their dinner tickets.

Getting Reservations - Not your typical process. You have to wait until they announce online that they have released the tickets for their tasting menu. Usually they release tickets two months in advanced (i.e. releasing tickets for June in April). Seven minutes after they put up the message, I got on their website and saw that all the times between 5:30 and 8:30 were taken. That was quick. We had to settle with 5:30. If you don't jump on it quick, you will not get the date/times you want. I believe they only accept parties 2, 4, and 6. Sometimes they will list cancellations on their Facebook page so you might be able to get in that way as well. Remember that each person will be 225+, not including wine pairings.

The Service - service was awesome as you can imagine. My gosh they were attentive. Ready and quick to clean off your plate and bring on the next course. Walked me to the bathroom and had a new napkin to put on my lap each time i came back. Gratuity is already included in the price so you don't have to worry about that. Very friendly and not at all stuck up like I would expect them to be at one of the top restaurants in the world.

The Food - for the most part the food amazed me. You get 15 to 20 dishes and the meal will last 2+ hours. I was very surprised by the different ways food could be displayed and created. I would never expect certain flavors to go with certain ingredients (i.e. maple syrup and swiss chard). Some of them worked and some of them were a little too outlandish for my taste. I'm very simple when it comes to food. My favorite dishes were the flamed cooked kobe beef, the lobster, their version of orange chicken, the black truffle explosion, the strawberry infused watermelon, the taffy balloon, and the final chocolate dessert. SERIOUSLY, the desserts were so creative and delicious.

Overall impression - I can see why this place is so famous. The food is so unique in presentation and taste. It's fun just to see them at work. You will never have another meal like this in your life. Molecular gastronomy at its finest. Be prepared for the unfamiliar. If you are used to plain steak and potatoes, you've gone to the wrong place. It's not a dinner, it's an experience.

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  Our awesome meal. So many wonderful dishes.

  Our awesome meal. So many wonderful dishes.

2/25/2015

If a $$$$ meal gets you an awesome picture of an awesome dessert, then so be it!

From the exterior, it almost seems like a trip to your favorite haunted house. BOO! As you enter, you are greeted by a host/hostess and you get to observe the chefs in action while waiting for your table to be setup. The food can be best described as extraterrestrial. I thought that some dishes were presented similarly to a fishbowl or campsite (or rather, you can call it a gastronomical bonsai tree). One of the best dishes served was the poached, Hawaiian shrimp. The shrimp melts into your mouth like a cream. 16 courses ended with a cup of delicious French-pressed coffee. I definitely would love to come here again!

Alinea.... it leaves you wondering. Did Chef Achatz just feed us the tastiest twigs in the world?

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• See all photos from Alfred L. for Alinea

5/13/2015

I know, it seems weird to not give five yelp stars to an institution that has 3 michelin stars. But perhaps the 3 michelin stars set expectations that I couldn't quite find satisfied. One thing I did appreciate is that they like to "surprise" you and so don't give you their menu until the very end.

The preparation and presentation involved in the dishes is rather amazing, and they like to get creative with their dishes. There are a number of memorable dishes because of their presentation, including a balloon, food literally on the table, and food buried in a fire. There is obviously a very hefty price tag that comes with this meal, and I would say that it's worth it given the amount of excitement that comes with each course, but this is one of those meals that is more of an "event" rather than a great gastronomic experience.

7/4/2015

Wow wow wow.

Words cannot describe my happiness and satisfaction with this meal.

It's no wonder that this restaurant is rated no. 1 in the United States. I really enjoyed the whole experience - from the display, the taste, the surprises, and the service. I absolutely loved it.

I would definitely come back.

My favorite dishes were the hot potato, cold potato; the fire; and the last dessert.

The service was amazing - by emailing the restaurant, we found out about the last min reservation via Facebook when others have cancellations, and the waiter, although new, was super friendly and accommodating to us.

I would love to come back for this fantastic experience.

12/28/2014

Came here March of 2014. We bought tickets on their online reservation system the day that it opened for the date we wanted, snatched the 5pm slot since it's a 3-hour long dinner. It was my first experience at a molecular gastronomy restaurant aka fancy/innovative/interactive/playful dishes.

I can't add to this Yelp page any more than everyone else has already said. Yes, it does live up to the hype. Go here.

Tips:
- Get the earliest slot if you can, since there are no barriers to other diners around you, the surprises lose their magic if you arrive later than other tables.
- Since you already paid for the reservation, coffee/beverages are free (you only pay for alcohol)
- Photography allowed, no flash.
- Check out the kitchen and the decor!
- Read Life, On The Line by Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas (I'm reading it right now and it's making me appreciate the meal I had here almost a year ago so much more!)
- Don't read too much into this restaurant and don't look at the pictures/videos. See for yourself!!!

And lastly, be open minded and have fun!

12/23/2014

Being a food freak, I jumped at the chance to dine at Alinea.  Michelin 3-star rating and #9 on The San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants ...um, definitely!  

You pay for the meal when making reservations (~$350 p/person).  The restaurant is located in the charming, upscale neighborhood of Lincoln Park.  If you're staying Downtown on Michigan Ave, it's just a $15 Uber ride.    

From the valet to the final farewell, everyone is extremely gracious and friendly.  After being greeted, they encouraged us to take a peek and pictures of the open kitchen.  In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the open photo policy.  Never once did they make us feel silly for taking pictures.  Only rule -- no flash.  We were then led upstairs to the dimly lit, sophisticated and modernly styled dining area.  There is ample space between tables so your dining experience is truly your own.  

Drinks are ordered/paid at the restaurant and include 20% gratuity.  Wine pairing is available for $180 (if I recall correctly), which measures about 4 1/2 glasses of wine.  I didn't want to stumble out of there so I opted for wines by the glass.  While there is a price list for bottles, there is no list for wines by the glass.  They want to ensure your wine compliments the courses (which only they know) so they prefer to discuss wine selections with you.  The sommelier was amazingly personable and made excellent recommendations.  Nonetheless, it's scary ordering wine without knowing the cost.  We ordered a few glasses of champagne and wine.  After seeing the bill, we paid an average of $30 per glass (excluding tax and tip).  Not too bad.  

The dishes are perfectly timed.  Service is the best I've ever experienced.  It was warm, friendly, attentive and extremely professional.  Absolutely amazing.  There were sixteen courses.  Many were incredibly delicious and a couple were not palatable for my tastes, however each course was unbelievably creative and artistic.  Molecular gastronomy at its best.  While I didn't love each dish, I marveled at the innovative transformation of ingredients and the unique combination of textures and flavors.

Truthfully, I was disappointed in the protein selections.  Aside from a squab dish and a pork belly dish, there were no other meats.  I would have loved some steak and game.  But I'm a carnivorous gal.  Also, I would have preferred one more main course in place of a dessert.  I left dinner a little hungry.  Regardless, Alinea truly provided a dining experience of a lifetime.  I'm so glad I went.

I've uploaded a picture of the menu.  Courses don't change much over time.  To see drastic changes, you should wait a minimum of 6 months.

7/3/2015

This review is for their December 2014 menu (and contains detailed spoilers, so I waited half a year to write this review until their menu changes enough). If you're looking forward to visiting Alinea soon and love surprises, try refraining from reading too many reviews! It'll ruin some of the wonder & joy.

First off, from the outside it's very inconspicuous and it's easy to go right past Alinea; our Uber driver zoomed right past it. The entrance is a long corridor that enhances your anticipation and curiosity. Once your coat is taken and you're seated, you won't get a print out of your tasting menu until the very end. You'll have to let go and listen as your server walks you through your night. One nice touch is they noted it was our 3 year anniversary and wrote Happy Anniversary at the top of our menu at the end!

We didn't pick the option of wine pairings, but from the conversations we heard around us the servers will explain in-depth all of the pairing choices and some of them seemed enticing enough. Not sure if it'll be worth the extra ~$100 though.

All in all, it took us about 2.5 to 3 hours to complete the 16 courses. Your servers never rush you, except it might be wise to try to keep up with the tables around you since it'll ruin the surprise if you keep overhearing every dish. The whole menu is timed well with portion sizes that are somehow figured out just right. You end up decently satisfied; you're not stuffed but also not still hungry at the end. It's definitely an experience you won't forget, but also something I wouldn't be able to justify doing again any time soon unless I won the lottery tomorrow. I did notice that some of the dishes were a bit too salty for my liking and overpowered some of the other flavors I would have liked to enjoy, hence the 4 stars. I think I over-hyped it in my head and read too many reviews beforehand so it wasn't as magical as I would hope a $300 experience would be. Of course, Grant Achatz is still a gastronomical genius and the experience was still special. I think I would have loved to have seen him cook or learned more about the special/unique cooking processes behind some of the dishes to appreciate what I was eating more.

Courses:
#1) Osetra- traditional russian caviar with an egg yolk pudding, a lemon&red onion&caper clear jelly, and a brioche bread foam served with an abalone spoon
#2) Salsify- strip of salsify root dried and soaked in soy hidden in this nest of branches. pretty much tasted like extremely salty jerky once we found it
#3) Skate- served on a plate designed to look like an appetizer napkin; we were instructed to eat it holding the plate in our palm as if we were at a cocktail party. skate fish with brown butter, lemon, and herbs
#4) Pebble- made to look like if you were to look at the bottom of a bubbling stream full of pebbles. assortment of beans (pebbles), poached ebi (shrimp), ogo (seaweed branch), white mushroom caps and white bean cream
#5) John Dory- cubes of john dory fish with thai influenced peanut cream sauce, white sauce and broccoli microgreen florets, topped with vietnamese coriander. heavy asian influence served in an almost sushi-like fashion, all on top of a very long, aged and cured plank of wood from an old barrel. This was our favorite dish of the night; fun to eat and I love sushi.
#6) Eggplant- cocoa nibs and mustard seeds in hot fresh ginger, lemongrass (taken from the centerpiece above our table) based curry broth with eggplant decorated with cilantro, pickled jalapeño all sitting on top of banana
#7) Matsutake (silver bowl)- slices of matsutake pine mushroom torched at our table side on top of soy tapioca pearls in abalone white cream
#8) Hamachi (fire setting in the middle)- hamachi (yellowtail) chunk, green bean, and shishito green pepper speared on a pine branch for roasting over the mini fire to our preference
#9) Pork Belly *SPOILERS*- this dish is hidden inside the fire in the ashes the whole time as a seaweed wrapped pork belly that our server retrieved and removed the burnt edges.
Pork belly, blackened parsnip spear served on top of a hot charred oak tree trunk log with squid ink, black garlic, kombu seaweed and mystery orange sauce
#10) Hot Potato Cold Potato- Tiny, time-sensitive delicate dish of hot potato, truffle, butter that we had to unpin and drop into cold potato creme soup and drink back like a shot. served in a tiny wax saucer
#11) Squab- this was my first time having pigeon and it was surprisingly tasty. Came with beet, orange sauce, and some smoky dark flavors
#12-16 were dessert courses that finished with the infamous Tropical Fruit smash drawing on the table. All of them were delicious and so fun to eat- especially the Taffy Apple Helium balloon that you eat after sucking out the helium and talking like daffy duck.

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  #4) Pebble- like if you were to look at a bubbling stream full of pebbles. assortment of beans, poached ebi, seaweed branch, mushroom caps

  #4) Pebble- like if you were to look at a bubbling stream full of pebbles. assortment of beans, poached ebi, seaweed branch, mushroom caps
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  #1) Osetra- traditional russian caviar w/ egg yolk pudding, a lemon&red onion&caper clear jelly, and a brioche bread foam

  #1) Osetra- traditional russian caviar w/ egg yolk pudding, a lemon&red onion&caper clear jelly, and a brioche bread foam
• See all photos from Joly W. for Alinea

5/17/2015

Alinea- a mysterious and ground-breaking establishment that led the way on ticket-based seat sales and broke a whole bunch of culinary rules on their way to the 3-Star Michelin Guide rating they now hold.

The prices are high (tickets start at $210 for the least desirable timeslots, and go up to $295 for the best) and you're offered an upsell of a wine pairing when you arrive (a standard offering and a "reserve" offering, which is not worth the extra charge). But, nothing about this place is meant to appeal to the economic-minded, so buckle in and enjoy writing off a normal person's month of dining-out budget.

The staff are exceptionally- unbelievably- devoted, attentive, and precise. If you casually mention that you prefer bubbly water to flat, or your sauces on the side, or any one of a million preferences, the wait staff go far out of their way to accommodate you.

The meals are presented in creative, fascinating, beautiful ways that will leave you wondering what you thought a fine meal meant beforehand. As one quick example, when I went, the dessert course was literally painted onto my table by one of the kitchen staff.

if you'd like a dorky course-by-course description, I invite you to go here:

threestarepicure.com/blo…

If you're heading to this restaurant and reading reviews to learn more about what to expect, rest assured that your experience will almost certainly change your life. It's that good.

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  12th Course- Squab LIver with Roasted Orange

  12th Course- Squab LIver with Roasted Orange
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  10th Course- Pork Belly with Parsnip

  10th Course- Pork Belly with Parsnip
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  9th Course- Tempura of Abalone with Maitake Mushroom

  9th Course- Tempura of Abalone with Maitake Mushroom
• See all photos from Three S. for Alinea

8/7/2015

Best meal of my life.  I ate at the French Laundry in 2003 when Chef Achatz was still working there, I've eaten at Jean Georges and other fine establishments.  Alinea topped all of them.

The service is more perfect than words can convey.  The food is delicious and like nothing you have eaten before.  Surprising, fun, exciting.  By the 1/2 way point I had lost the ability to form coherent sentences, my mind was reeling with flavour and delight.  It was over all too soon and my girlfriend and I stayed up for and hour and a half after taking notes so we could remember what happened and relish the evening.

A couple of interesting notes...  Since you pay ahead of time, if you don't opt for wine, no money changes hands during the evening and that was a very nice comfortable experience.  One fewer thing to distract us from enjoyment.

Coffee or tea at the end is included and was amazing and I don't normally drink coffee.

There were a couple of courses that had a heavy Japanese influence.  In the past I considered traveling to Japan to try the food.  That would have cost several thousand dollars.  Now I'm thinking I'll save that money and just come back to Chicago and try Alinea.  Chef Achatz, you have saved me a great deal of money here and I can now justify coming back.  This makes me very happy.

I love thai curries and make them myself.  One of the courses involved a single bite dish that was a green curry.  In that one bite it tasted like the best bowl of green curry (with crab in this case) that I have ever had.  This was very much a Willy Wonka moment.

One of the dishes that involved black truffle was by far the best use of black truffle I have ever eaten.  This was from the Grafiti course.

I look forward to going back some day.  We did not go away hungry.  Our taxi was waiting for us when we got back to the real world outside.

1/6/2015

Alinea sure delivered. Probably the most impressionable meal i've ever had. Nowadays to make it to the top, it's no longer only about taste, quality, presentation, and service; there needs to be an "x" factor, known as the experience -- interactive experience. Bf took me here for my bday dinner; we had 16 courses, and each dish was unique. Some more unique than others of course, can't get it all perfect now. But yeah, i love how the dishes are interactive and stirs conversation. When we first walked to our table, there was a piece of rhubarb hanging above the table. Bf says, wouldn't it be funny if we actually ate it? Low and behold, it ended up in our tummy by course 6. Another course had a birds nest made out of branches, the food was camouflaged within the nest, and we had to search to eat them. The taste of this dish was kinda salty, but i loved the playful element.

Our meal ended with a bang, literally. A chef came to the table, layed out a white cloth, and used the table as his canvas and started painting with the 12 ingredients in front of him, which were made out of dried fruits, purees, jams, candies. There are a large candied ball and he cracked that at the end. We dug into the artwork with our spoons. The moment before scooping up my first bite, i truly felt like a 5 year old in a candy shop, absolutely mesmerized. Green apple taffy helium balloon was super creative, but i'm sure everybody writes about that so that's all i'll say.

Warning: i think it goes without me saying, make your reservation way ahead. Surprisingly, my bf got one 1.5 months ahead, but it was also for a Wed night. You pay for the bill including tax and tip upfront, so if you can't go on the day of, you have to sell your ticket, or forfeit. Be prepared to spend your evening dining. Our meal took 4 hours, but we also took our sweet ass time. Left at 9:30pm; both floors were still packed. Ladies and gents, it was a Wed night...not to mention, ~$300/person meal, but entire place was still crowded. THAT speaks volume.

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  Looks aren't always everything. My fav of the 16 courses - King crab, more crab under the white foam, & melon.

  Looks aren't always everything. My fav of the 16 courses - King crab, more crab under the white foam, & melon.
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  Salsify, savory root hidden in the nest.

  Salsify, savory root hidden in the nest.
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  dragon's breath

  dragon's breath
• See all photos from Lisa H. for Alinea

12/7/2014

It's hard to put this experience into words. From the outside it looks line an unassuming house in the north outskirts of downtown. When you walk in the front door you are immediately placed in a dark hallway with a few monochromatic neon lights and dead silence. Kind of like a Kubrick movie, kind of like a deprivation chamber to get your mind right for the upcoming experience.

This is a restaurant where you have little control. The vibe is part art show, part culinary experience, part high end boardroom, part library. A well oiled machine and they have a specific way they want you to enjoy it. It's what you expect with 3 Michelin stars.

Once seated you are in for the most imaginative, delicious, inspiring, interactive meal of your life. Wine pairing is a must. You'll have your own sommelier attending to your table and it really enhances the experience. Majority of the wines were white so that tips you off to the type of food we had.

Unforgettable experience that I look forward to re-visiting in the future.

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  Kitchen

  Kitchen
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  Pebble

  Pebble
• See all photos from Rahul H. for Alinea

4/16/2015

I've been waiting to write my reviews of all the other similar restaurants in Chicago until coming here. I felt like I couldn't give a balanced review until I had the top rated.

16 courses. I went with 4 people so this review is a combination of everyone's opinion. over all a very fun experience! we actually had a really good time, no yawning waiting for food here. The service is very good, as you'd expect, the servers themselves are very laid back and joke around, which in general makes the experience more fun.

they are also unbelievably accommodating, all of us had different dietary restrictions which did not seem to phase them on any level. A guy at the table next to us was dairy, egg and meat free!!! (why did he come here???)

overall they have a bunch of dishes that they keep around that everyone loves...and there are some new things. we all disliked the same 2 courses, which is disappointing. But everything always looked good even if the taste was +/-.  It was a fun experience. I don't think I'll be back again, since it seems that they rarely make drastic changes to their menu, I'd rather go back to somewhere like 42 grams, Moto, sixteen or grace who are constantly changing their menus completely.

12/2/2014

Alinea is a culinary experience like nothing you've ever seen before. Grant Achatz has the most incredible talent of any chef around. He pushes culinary boundaries by thinking so outside the box you almost forget you're inside a restaurant.
The level of creativity is so outside any other 5 star restaurant.  I guess they call this molecular gastronomy. It's part chemistry and science, part art and part what I like to call master chefistry. I've never seen a chef take so much personal time and involvement in their meals as he does.

Going to Alinea is a special occasion for most. For me, it was my 30th birthday. Achatz took us on a treasure hunt of unbelievable foods and presentations.

Our food adventure started with a twig bird basket where we found salsified jerky. We went through a swamp with a pearl encased lily pond of sashimi with bubbling dry ice. We were taken by table side campfire to find Kobe beef hidden in the campfire rocks.
Got a "To Go" box of Sweetbreads with chopsticks. Grabbed a newspaper and devoured the crab legs with tarter sauce packets. The food portions were perfect for the 12 or so courses and tricked up in flavor.

Sugar helium edible green apple taffy balloons were brought to the table. We stared in curiosity as to how to proceed with a balloon as edible? The first brave one at the table took it and sucked. The balloon came undone and turned into a sticky taffy string. Releasing the helium was almost more fun than eating it. We all laughed at our "Alinea is amazing" sounding like dwarfs from the helium and laughing at such a childish thing in a 5 star restaurant.

The grand finale desert was presented and prepared in front of us by chef Achatz. Nutmeg chocolate coursing cake, and smears of goodness all around, dusted with confetti like sugar sparkles. Presented like art on a silicone sheet that when they finished presenting the desert it looked like a abstract artwork.

Criticisms of this place may be the ticket system and the uncertainty of when your reservation request will be accommodated and the deposit associated. But, if you're going to Alinea, you're going with the expectation of sheer brilliance and that's exactly what it is. And well worth the conjecture.

For me, Alinea was a life changing meal and the most amazing 30th birthday ever.

12/4/2014

Well here it is. Review #200 for me. All I can say is wow. And that's not a good wow. That's a wow of disappointment. This is the 5th high profile restaurant I've gone to, and the 2nd one that profiles molecular gastronomy. The first one being Minibar, in DC.  At the end of the day day I'd go back to Minibar 10 times before I come back here, and that's saying something considering you're treated different if you come back, which leads me to my first point. Any friends of employees, or people who have been before get additional courses.  Not one course, but multiple. So you're essentially paying the same amount for less food.  Recently one of the "extra dish" that some received but others did not was the black truffle explosion, which seems to be one of the dishes they're most known for. When I went it was some white truffle dish in a glass dome (I'm assuming it's smoked).  

The other part that didn't woo me was unfortunately the most important, the food.  There were some great components, but overall most of the dishes that I had left me with the impression that they were "good".  Nothing outstanding, or that I would rave about.  The dish with the pork belly from the fire was probably the closest to that.  Overall extremely disappointed. On one course I left a fork on the napkin they use to place new silver wear, and one of the runners told me to make sure I put it on the dish that's served, not asked, told. At the end of the day I wish they wouldn't have charged you tip in advance, because my experience did not come nearly close to deserving a 20% tip.

The menu is definitely seafood driven, which I'm also not a huge fan of. I enjoy sea food, but not for every course. There was one squad and one pork belly dish, outside of that it was all seafood.

At the end of the day, this was the most expensive meal I've had to date (wine pairing + food and tip comes out to about $1,100. I paid around $800 at minibar, and left fuller, and much more satisfied. It looks like i won't be back for the special treatment/extra dishes.

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  Skate wing

  Skate wing
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  Charring the mushrooms

  Charring the mushrooms
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  Hot potato cold potato

  Hot potato cold potato
• See all photos from Brian S. for Alinea

4/3/2015

HOW I ENDED UP AT ALINEA:
OMGosh Alinea, where do I start?! Last year while skimming through my Netflix account, I was in the mood for a documentary and what better than one about food? I chose "Spinning Plates", which is a documentary highlighting 3 different restaurants about their upcoming and shortfalls - one of the restaurants included in it was Alinea. Learning about Alinea for the first time, I was absolutely intrigued and knew I had to go someday. Fast forward to a year later and my girlfriend and I decide to take a trip to Chicago. After booking my flight and starting to plan the trip, I instantly thought of Alinea - I asked my girlfriend if she was down and I immediately purchased tickets that evening. I was ecstatic that there were tickets available during our trip time frame.

REVIEW:
Our experience started off great with a trip to The Aviary prior to Alinea. Because our reservation times for both places were far apart from each other, the staff at the Aviary were able to contact Alinea and get us in earlier for the evening.

Alinea was an amazing experience that tantalized all of my senses and had my adrenaline rushing at times. From the minute you walk in to the restaurant, you're already feeling emotions and raising questions as you walk through the entrance to the hostess. The hostess was so sweet and showed us the kitchen prior to bringing us up to our seats. The service throughout the evening was impeccable - all of the servers are very professional, courteous, and you can tell that this restaurant has got it down and is a well oiled machine. The service is almost as if it was choreographed.

We ended up with about 19 courses - all of the food was delicious and a great experience with each. Some courses were more interesting than others, and some less. My favorite definitely was foraging through a basket of branches to find your food and the apple helium balloon. The culmination of the dinner as well as the finale is the dessert course. This was the part that I was most excited to experience. The dessert portion of your dinner is a whole experience in itself. From the moment that the servers placed out the items, to the chef "painting" the work of art dessert, to the moment I tasted the items - I felt all sorts of excitement.

Everything here is so well thought out. When we first sat down, we had a bundle arrangement of herbs, etc. hanging above our heads. Only to sit there and wonder the entire time what the heck it's doing there - then you come upon the course where they incorporate it into one of the courses. I could go on and on...

I would have liked to have the wine pairing along with my dinner, but after paying for the dinner itself, it was hard to cough up another $150 for the wine pairing. Instead, we asked the server what would go well with the meal if we were to only have one glass of something. He recommend Champagne and the delectable glass that we had lasted through dinner and was perfect. (Note: they only serve Champagne here from Champagne - "none of that Sparkling Wine" in the words of our server)

To sum it up, Alinea was was such a great experience. To me, it wasn't going out for dinner - it was going out for dinner and a show. And such a great show for a food(ie) lover like me. I would definitely return if I am in Chicago again with my husband or family - I would love to be able to share in this experience again  with them.

5/5/2015

Honestly, I don't even know where to begin with a review of Alinea, just know that this was the most memorable and enjoyable dining experience of my life. It was well worth the hassle and expense of flying to Chicago for the weekend to spend an evening at Alinea. We had previously purchased the Alinea cookbook and made some of the dishes at home, like the black truffle explosion, and it was great to try the real version to compare. If you appreciate fine dining and are open to trying new, interesting things - you should definitely visit Alinea.

IMO, it would be best to avoid reading reviews that describe the food in detail or looking at too many photos of their dishes, the surprise and delight of each course arriving is a huge part of the experience.

Alinea was incredible and I can't wait to return in the future.

3/26/2015

Everything you've heard about this place is mostly true. The food is experimental and challenges your conceptions about what food should look like, taste like (based on what you're looking at) and the whole performance of food as art. I do agree with another reviewer that while this was a dazzling array on the five senses, it did not leave satisfied from an eating perspective. There wasn't really a course that I enjoyed to the point where it was memorable because I enjoyed the taste, mostly remember things because of presentation or surprise of taste vs what i thought it would taste like looking at it.

The only thing that I did not appreciate was the fact that the servers were joking around audibly and quite frankly, were distracting. It was as if I was being served by frat house brothers that decided one day to be servers. There is one course that needs to be lit and while a server was placing this dish on the table, another server stated something to the effect of "I like how that went up in flames, kinda like your music career". While funny, I expect that at Chilis or TGIF, not Alinea. That was definitely one of the major drawbacks.

Finally, just a note to those who want to go, I would highly recommend just taking a 5pm or early slot. WHY? because you won't have anybody break the magic of what is to come and can discover each interesting point of each dish un-adulterated by someone nearby who might be ahead of you on the menu. just my 2 cents.

7/29/2015

This is definitely worth the experience. My wife and I shared a wine pairing (and even shared some with our friends who were dining with us) and unfortunately for my light-weight self I got really drunk to the point where there were a couple of courses that I couldn't fully enjoy. I don't think I would go again but I'm glad I went. I know I've had better food at other restaurants, but nowhere have I had a similar dining experience.

8/3/2015

My heart be still. What a dream come true!

10/1/2014

This is real. Alinea is real. I can't believe I ate here.

I can't even begin to describe the dishes I ate. I don't even know if I can call them dishes. They should be called works of art-- or something to that level. I seriously cannot understand the creative minds that work in this institution. How do they constantly innovate and create such mind-blowing dishes?

Our waiter was wonderful. He knew the menu flawlessly and prepared each tableside dish quickly and skillfully. He was very charming and funny as well. He always made sure to pour me more hot tea.

Highlights of the night were the Chinese take-out sweetbreads, the corn dish, the hot/cold bite in the wax bowl with skewer (so hard to describe but so good!), and the taffy balloon. You'll definitely walk out of here with a more than full stomach. I was full halfway through the meal, but I kept eating because every dish was so unique and new.

This is a once in a lifetime experience. I'm blessed to have tried the art that they serve. You can't describe Alinea as simply a dinner, but more of a culinary experience. Perhaps even a life experience.

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• See all photos from Michelle L. for Alinea

7/31/2015

Somewhat disappointed with the food. There was a lot of showmanship, but I think the dishes themselves were not quite as good as expected. For example, there was a balloon desert that was cool but I couldn't even finish it.

6/26/2015

I surprised my better half with an overnight trip to Chicago and Alinea for our anniversary.

Decor: Minimal. The dining area and restaurant as a whole does not offer much. The very lightly decorated walls and hallways leading to your table may leave some wanting more but I found it terribly appropriate. Very few distractions to take away from your dinner companion or the meal.

Dinner: Incredible. 18- courses. Each different from the other and very carefully assembled. Plating and presentation are precise and inventive. For an 18 - course pris fixe menu I was very impressed that none fell flat. It's very difficult to please a palette of a stranger that's not choosing the dishes they order and Alinea nailed it.

Service: One of the more memorable parts of our dining experience was the demeanor of the staff. For a restaurant that knows it's worth in the food community that staff carried themselves with modesty and simple charm. Table side jokes and conversation made our evening even more special than it already was.

Alcohol: We were presented with a few beverage options, and we decided to nix the pairings and just order a bottle of wine. The sommelier was courteous and engaged. We asked a lot of questions, mostly to pick his brain. He didn't rush us in the least bit.

Cost: Everything you've been told is true. In the end we probably spent around $750. Worth it.

Bonus: At the end of your meal they provide you with a printed menu that describes the plates served that evening. They customized ours with a happy anniversary message, unfortunately we forgot it in our cab at the hotel. When we returned to Ohio I sent the restaurant an email hoping they may reprint and mail it to us for a cost; they were quick to respond, I had it 2 days later and they refused my offer to make a payment.

5/5.

4/20/2015

Unbelievable meal! The presentations are out of this world. The service was excellent. The wine list is impressive but we wish there were a few more slightly affordable options!
Our only complaint was the courses were a bit too salty and they seemed to use a lot of miso. My portion of the pork belly was completely salt crusted and inedible. But the dessert masterpiece was so awesome! We will definitely go back. I also wish they had little stools for purses, most really nice restaurants we've been to have those!

9/28/2014

WOW, when can I go again?  Seriously, if you have the means, definitely go.

Atmosphere - freaking awesome (enough that I am almost swearing about it) .. not stuffy, not pretentious, staff was friendly, nice and knowledgeable.

Favorite meals of the night:

Corn - SERIOUSLY - it's just corn, but man it was so flavorful and ridiculously delicious

Poussin - Alinea's Chinese takeout... awesome and such a cute presentation

Pork Belly - UMM how can you not like pork belly that is secretly cooking inside the charcoals?  So flavorful, so scrumptious and perfectly cooked.

Balloon - just plain fun - good times!!!  

Tropical Fruit - took everyone ounce of will power to not climb on top of the table to lick everything off.

I walked away full and satisfied.  My expectations completely met for spending an exorbitant amount of money and yes, I would do it again.

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  Dragons breath

  Dragons breath
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  Such an amazing dish

  Such an amazing dish

6/10/2015

While I may not be a "foodie" -- as evidenced by my review of Senor Tequila below -- I enjoyed every second of this dining experience -- and it truly was an experience.

From the brioche foam, to the dehydrated salsify, to the helium-filled green apple balloon, everything was truly phenomenal.  The preparation and presentation of every dish was sublime.  Other than one dish ("Graffiti"), I found myself wishing for more.  I believe Graffiti was the start of the dessert courses, and if it had been served without the balsamic spray, I suspect i would have found it more enjoyable, but I digress...

The wait staff was phenomenal -- not uppity and pretentious as you may expect from a three-star Michelin restaurant.  They were engaging and courteous, never obtrusive or douchey.

A great experience over-all.

6/26/2015

What an experience from the spectacular service to the presentation and taste of each  course.  Everything was phenomenal

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  Amazing table side dessert presentation by Achatz himself!

  Amazing table side dessert presentation by Achatz himself!

3/4/2015

Solid 4.5 Yelp star experience. Reservations are made in tables of 2, 4 or 6 and must be paid upfront like concert tickets. Like every other fool here, I bought expensive tickets here about 2 months in advance for a 4 seat table for my two sisters and I and sold the fourth ticket to a random person off Craigslist a week before my trip. I think I was really lucky to find a buyer for the ticket, so maybe try your luck on Craigslist or Alinea's Facebook page for other buyers and sellers.

My reservations were at 5 and we arrived early and got seated and served first. Other tables who dined in the same room with us had to witness all the cool molecular gastronomy tricks at our table first. So please try to get the earliest reservations as possible so that other tables don't ruin the surprises!

Alinea by far serves the best tasting, innovative molecular gastronomy cuisine I've ever experienced. I've had dinner at WD 50 by Chef Wylie Defresne and it pales in comparison to what Chef Grant Achatz is doing at Alinea. Sure it's twice as expensive but worth it. Would I come back here? Maybe. Was it the best meal of my life? No, but it was the most expensive! If I was rich, I would go back to see what Chef Grant Achatz is doing Next!

7/2/2015

An experience!

The food was good but not as savory, more sweet. The staff is fantastic and the kitchen! It's like a work of art to see them cook. A must for any food lovers. Only wine and beer to choose from and the plates like any high end restaurant are tiny. Great for special occasions.

3/6/2015

This place is fun and entertaining. They engage you in the meal and challenge your senses. The food itself is good, but not great. It's really for the experience. A food adventure.

You really need to be open to trying new things and concepts in order to enjoy this experience. So, think before going, and don't fault the restaurant for what it is. Consider yourself informed.

5/27/2015

This place is like that Great Movie that you talk about for a week later.... maybe even a lifetime. We are not those kind of people who can afford a place like this, but we had to do it, at least once. Yes, it's an ungodly cost, but after stepping into the smoke filled red entrance... the trance of exceptional dinning overwhelmed me and I haven't thought about the price again. You're either a foodie and want to know about this or your not. If your not, then just go look elsewhere. If you are, this is the experience you want. Food is truly art. You sense it: see it, smell it, taste it, touch it, hear it. Alinea wraps them all together in an expertly timed and perfectly delivered method(s). With the exception of one item, we have eaten all these food pieces before. Yet they have never been eaten like this before. Out of 15 courses, only one was just "good." The rest were exceptional. This restaurant has really made me rethink "food," a basic life giving element. What have I been doing with food my whole life? Is it just to sustain my life? Or is it life itself? Does it breathe fog from eggs? Is it a spoon or fin? Is that pork or fish, and why can't I tell? Can it be raw or cooked? Is this a picture or food? Can we cook ON fire or IN it? Is a dragon claw FROM fire, or water, or earth? Can olive oil be a solid? How many ways can you serve a clam? Can food contain helium and still be safe? Can something so little fill me up? If it's done right, you get the answer to all of your questions, even if you have to ask a new question every time.

This is not dinner, this is an experience.

8/1/2014

Alinea will blow your mind.

If you have even a small interest in high end cuisine, chances are you have already heard plenty about Grant Achatz and his 3 Michelin stars, AAA Five Diamond Award and the #9 ranking on the World's 50 Best Restaurants List, second only to Eleven Madison Park in the U.S... Truth be told, the hype is real.

Alinea offers a rotating tasting menu of between 18 and 22 courses suited to the season that is only available through a ticketing system via their website. You are going to want to start planning your visit at least 3 months out to ensure things go smoothly and you can expect to fork over $500.00 for a table for two without wine. This is all housed in a very nondescript murdered out building on North Halsted in Chitown with no signage, just a valet stand. The open kitchen is the first thing your eyes will focus on upon entering the restaurant, by design.

The visual experience is really beyond compare, be prepared for juxtaposition. Custom tableware, exotic dishes and inventive flavors are shown in every dish. Most notable is the Black Truffle Explosion ( they make their own black truffle stock!), the supremely rich Waygu, Hot Potato/Cold Potato (Possibly the best single bite of food I have ever tasted), the world renowned Edible Helium Balloon (where you you even begin to imagine this dish?!?) and the most creative and best tasting dessert on Earth which was created table side by Chef Achatz himself on our visit.

The only criticism I have regarding Alinea is that the servers at times allow their ego to get away from themselves and it is highly advisable to get their personal pride out of the way and not become an obstacle for the extremely adapt kitchen. That said, we did not allow that to hamper our evening,

Alinea provided the single most creative experience in dining I will most likely ever have and also the second best tasting meal I have consumed while exploring this mortal coil. Most certainly worth the price of admission.

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  Black Truffle Explosion.

  Black Truffle Explosion.

8/7/2015

Chief was an elitist jerk. Terrible service for the price and I will NEVER return. Stuck up atmosphere and wasn't even that good.

4/7/2015

I'm so glad I booked months in advance before my trip there. Despite the dress code - It was totally worth the experience. Everything else tasted terrible when I got back home.. I couldn't eat out. That was how amazing the food was. It was an amazing introduction to degustation.. How did they make the foam taste so awesome??

By far the best Michelin starred restaurant I've tried so far.

7/29/2015

Wow. Serious gastronomic experience!! I came here to celebrate a friends birthday. We had 18 course meal, paired with the wine. Wine was mostly white.

Personal Favorites include:
-Peach: a ball that bursts with juicy goodness
-Surf clam: served with nine toppings and soup
-All of the dessert: Cheesecake (matcha, berries, and hibiscus), helium balloon, and the lovely painting like ending served with various fruit.

You end satisfied. Just a note, they pour wine generously! So pace yourself

1/29/2015

There isn't much more to be said about this place. If Michelin's 3 stars can't convince you, what can I say that will? Oh what's that? My word actually means more to you than Michelin's? Well, I guess I have no choice but to write for my adoring fans.

(Additional apologies to the fans who have been waiting for the first review of 2015. To make up for it, I'm reviewing Alinea, the best dining experience I've ever had)

I'll keep this relatively short: there is no bad course. There are weird courses, unique courses, things-you-would-never-think-to-do courses, but no bad course.

But it's not the absence of bad courses that makes this restaurant so special but instead, it's the unbelievably amazing courses. The hot potato, cold potato bite serves my favorite vegetable in 2 ways that are combined in the mouth that explodes your taste buds. The Pork Belly and Parsnip that were simmering in the fire that cooked the previous dish was delicious. The corn with truffle, manchego, and sherry was literally the best corn dish I've ever had.

But nothing compares to the dessert at the end. The frozen coconut. The completely wrong textured fruits. The delicious sauces to dip everything in. The way the entire table acts as the dish to hold the dessert. Truly a once in a lifetime dessert.

I know the price is ridiculous but just find that special someone and experience the best restaurant in Chicago.

5/12/2015

Alinea....simply incredible, stunning and deserving of all the accolades!!

The tasting menu is well balanced, perfectly temp, masterfully orchestrated and insanely delicious. The plating looked amazing and the food taste even better. The helium balloon was unexpected and utterly amusing.

I'm not usually star-struck when I see superstars in LA. However, when Chef Grant Achatz came out, to our table to perform his exquisite dessert finale. I was totally in awe of his talent! I wished I had brought his cookbook with me that night for his autograph.

I love Christopher Kostow's beautiful creations at The Restaurant in Meadowood, Napa Valley. I think Grant Achatz is slightly more avant-garde with his edible masterpieces.

I only wished Alinea was located in Calif. Sigh. Although, Alinea is definitely worth a flight to Chicago...even in a blizzard. :-)

5/30/2015

Dinner theater at its finest. Can't add much to what's already been written and said about Alinea. Service is casual which is perfect and the food is unique and an experience.

If you're in Chicago and want to have an experience, no doubt Alinea is the place.

6/8/2015

I took 3 of my poor friends to this restaurant, Spent around 2K.  Worth every penny.  We've been to most of the top restaurants in Chicago (one being Charlie Trotters which was a joke and I can understand why it closed, very stuffy).  We had an AWESOME french speaking waiter.  Very humble and kind.  One of my friends, underdressed for the occasion, started making large moans of joy as he ate, joking around.  The other rich folk in the room went with it and laughed along with us.  We were all having a great time.  To this day, my friends STILL talk about this restaurant.  Only problem is my Mom will forever hold it against me that I didn't bring her.  If I had the money I'd go again.  

You walk away depressed, like you ate on another planet with foreign food that is so good it could not be matched, all food becomes tasteless after having the full 4 hour tour at Alinea.

1/21/2015

It's absurd.

They could take a suitcase full of twenty dollar bills, caramelize them and force feed you them one at a time for four hours and it would still be delicious.  

Which is kinda what they do.

Our expectations were incredibly high, almost impossibly so.    It's the kind of thing that happens when you have ten years of good press and shiny shiny.     Here's the thing though...  they actually might have been exceeded.     Which is also kinda ridiculous and very much unexpected.

It's theatrical without being stupid.    It's delicious without being pretentious.  

It's fancy without being overly formal.  

I can't believe that I'm saying that a place that sets a bird's nest down on the table and says "you have to find the next course inside of the nest"  actually seems down to earth.     But it does.    

And perhaps that's the magic.

5/28/2015

Alinea deserves all of it's praise and more. I have never recommended Alinea to friends as a place to have a good meal. I recommend it as a restaurant that gives you an experience. It's almost like you are paying for dinner AND a show, but you get to be a part in that show. I have been twice and both times were completely different with the exception of three courses (I think the helium balloon, the jerky twig and the artful dessert table are mainstays.)  

With any place like Alinea where you are getting multiple courses of smaller bites you are obviously going to have some dishes you just don't care for. Looking back at photos I snapped of my two meals there were some dishes I don't even remember trying but it's made up for by the pure awesomeness of the other dishes.

I go back and forth on whether or not the wine pairings is essential to your experience. I have had it once with and once without and I enjoyed myself equally. It all just depends on how much you are wanting to drink that night.

5/10/2015

My husband brought me in this Michelin restaurant for my birthday.
The entrance of the restaurant is original and mysterious thanks to the exquisite lighting.

We thought it was truly over-priced for the food you get. There was a lot of effort to make the presentation original. Nevertheless, the combination of flavors was off for striving too hard to be original. It didn't tasted that good, even the dessert. A lot of fluff, but not any outstanding flavors on our plates.
The service was good, but the atmosphere of the restaurant seems pretentious overall.

1/27/2015

I dont get why people start reviews about Alinea with 'i cant add anything that hasnt been said in the last 1500 reviews'..what??  Then why are you writing the review.

I booked these tickets a month or so out.  I dined on 01/16/15.  You need to purchase the tickets through their website. You pay up front for the meal, taxes, and gratuity.  For two people the total was 702 dollars. Before wine. The place isnt cheap, its not a meal its an experience, and its awesome. If you dont buy wine or drinks, you simply get up and leave at the end.  

The service is unbelievable, the staff makes you feel comfortable right off the bat.  We arrived about an hour early and my brother asked the hostess if there was anywhere within walking distance that we could grab a decent cocktail.  The lady walked us herself...in the cold...to a joint next door which was very nice while we waited. Awesome.

Now the food, i didnt want to be one of those people who took pictures through the entire meal, seems annoying, and would change the experience.  I only took one photo the dessert at the end.  The food is tremendous.  Thats the best way to describe it.  I caught myself at times almost eating too quickly, you just have to slow down, realize what you are tasting and enjoy.  You may not leave this place full or stuffed, but you will be satisfied.  

This place leaves you thinking, how many places do that?  There are few dining experiences actually worth over 700 dollars, this is one of them.

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  You eat. Off the table. Jackpot.

  You eat. Off the table. Jackpot.

6/7/2015

I dined at Alinea around labor day of 2013. Is this worth coming back for? YES. Yes it is. Will you be entertained? ARE YOU ENTERTAINED? YES I WAS. I was entertained when there was liquid nitrogen smoke flowing over my whole table. I was entertained when there was fire on my dish. I was entertained when there was a taffy balloon entree brought to me. I was entertained when they drew/made dessert on my table.

Alinea EXCELS in entertainment. When you go to alinea, it's not just about taste (even though it blew my taste buds out of the water) it's about sight, smell, sound and wonder. That is why alinea is always at the the top of all the ranking lists and will continue to be at the top. Grant Achatz pioneers molecular gastronomy in the states, and arguably the world.

3/11/2015

Just WOW! Once in a lifetime meal. The chef is a genius. Food was great, but the presentation was unbelievable. So glad we splurged (and took lots of photos).

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  The branches hanging overhead became "darceiling" tea (and one of my favorite courses).

  The branches hanging overhead became "darceiling" tea (and one of my favorite courses).
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  Ginger beer!

  Ginger beer!

5/4/2015

The only negative thing about my Alinea experience is the ticketing system. I don't see an issue the ticketing system solves and if it solves a problem, it isn't very practical. Posting on social media for a crowd to fight over seems unusual when paid reservations could be offered just the same.

The food is innovative, mouthwatering and very special. Alinea truly sets the bar high and certainly the highest in Chicago. I have yet to experience anything on this level within Chicago or outside of LA, New York or abroad and I've had many meals of degustation and gastronomy.

The degustation menus are a feast for the eyes, mouth and mind because they look beautiful, taste divine and challenge the way we view food.

You must go, if you are fortunate enough to win the fight for a ticket... Good luck!